AZ Trail - Passage 3: Canelo Hills East (Eastern 4 miles)

Dec 2, 2014; Don & Suzanne; 8 miles roundtrip in-and-out hike
(Click on a thumbnail below to see a larger photo)

1	2	3 We left Mesa before dawn. Sunrise came as we were approaching Picacho Peak just off I10/17 north of Tucson. Photography by Suzanne; driving by Don	4 It was like the sky was afire.
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9 This is where the AZ Trail crosses Harshaw Road east of Patagonia, AZ. One tree decked out in fall colors caught our eye.	10 This tree	11 The AZ Trail leaves Harshaw Road and heads off toward the Canelo Hills to the east. Our destination is where the trail crosses an old ranch road about 4 miles in the distance.	12 Suzanne captures Don coming up the trail. The old man is slowing down from what he used to be able to do.
13 The first of several gates on this passage of the trail. We decided that we would write a book entitled "The Gates of the Arizona Trial." Think it might be as popular as "The Bridges of Madison County?"	14 Suzanne caught Don photographing the view back in the direction from which we came. There's that fall-color tree off in the distance.	15 This is the photo that Don was taking. There is a strange structure just to the right of the center of this picture and just below the horizon.	16 A telephoto shot of that structure. Hmm. Not exactly what you would expect for Patagonia. Wonder who?
17	18 A composite panorama looking toward Patagonia	19	20 Suzanne found this hollow tree trunk along the trail. She is holding one of her hiking poles inside the tree trunk to show it is hollow down to ground level. I was waiting for a swarm of bees to emerge but they didn't.
21 A top down view of a miniature cactus along the trail that caught Suzanne's eye	22	23 Our destination/turnaround was this old ranch road - the Red Rock/Canyon Road. We wanted to see how good a shape it was in. On the way back to Patagonia we looked for where this road starts - we think we found it. So next hike we will try to drive this road to this point so we can continue our hike on the middle section of this Passage.	24 Just beyond where the trail crosses this road is a locked gate - greatly impeding progress.
25 Following the fence line leads to a cowboy hat and a lariat, but done in metal and attached to a fence post. Neat.	26 Another view.	27 Looking for the Red Rock Ranch down that ranch road	28 The telephoto brings in some fencing
29 On our way back we veered off the trial to see an area that caught our eye. Couldn't find any falls.	30 The gate into the fenced off area	31 We entered and then eventually made our way back to the Xterror.